Presently an explosive detonation, projectile impact or launch generates an M shock wave that is not detected until heard, felt, or sensed with electrical pressure or acoustic devices; which, even in the case of the electrical sensing devices, is a late time annunciation of the event; that is, after the application of the shock or launched projectile's destructive effects on humans or equipment. This invention utilizes the discovery of a direct current (DC) electromagnetic pulse (EMP) called a Harbinger (H) wave. The EMP spectrum spans DC to light waves, thus an emerging shock M wave from an explosive blast, projectile impact or launch event emits a DC ionized mass slug upon formation, that is, ionization is broadcast from shock formation. The mass slug is a part of the Newton reaction component from the action of shock formation and analogous to a gun fired from a moving object in the same direction as the velocity vector of the moving object. The velocity of the bullet is the muzzle velocity plus the velocity of the moving object. In the Harbinger wave case the shock formation event fires an ionized mass slug at its velocity giving the H wave mass slug an initial velocity of two times the velocity of the emerging shock M wave.
For an explosive generated M shock wave, formation is at the outer edge of the visible fireball prorogating outward from the detonation point. Impact shocks from projectiles striking a target are formed at the center of impact. A projectile's accompanying launch device forms a shock at exit from a launch device such as a gun. They all emerge as a singular shock event propagating outward from their source and all are led by the H precursor wave.
The M wave emerging shock traveling behind the H wave is a quantum event led by a discontinuity which is a rapid rise from one state of environmental conditions of pressure, temperature, density, velocity and conductivity to yet another higher state. The thickness is expressed in Mean Free Paths or the average distance traveled by a moving particle such as an atom or molecule between successive collisions and, due to Heisenberg's Uncertainty Theorem, not a directly measurable quantity. This discontinuity led M shock wave is frequently applied to various applications such as military weapons. For example, a shock applied to the human body will rupture ear drums, collapse chest cavities and destroy brain cells or otherwise re-arrange the neurons. Mechanical and electrical equipment is especially sensitive to a shock and results in cessation of the equipment's mission. Shields to prevent mechanical or biological damage typically comprise robust and massive deflectors or gas operated protection such as air bags. To effectively deploy these devices a priori knowledge of the event is required as for example active protection such as back-blasts, to null the effect of an incoming shock wave, must be detonated within several microseconds of the shock arrival. Further the origin of sniper fire, explosive detonations, or projectile impact takes hours or days to determine. In the methods described herein annunciation of detrimental shock formation is in real time.
In addition to taking protective action on a potentially damaging explosive/impact/launch shock event, it is desirable to intentionally generate a DC EMP H wave for detection by other explosive hardware for the purpose of simultaneity of detonation to achieve energy focusing. The H wave is also suitable as a first alert annunciator which when received by a magnetic capture device will signal police, fire and military command centers that a destructive event has transpired and in this application is ideally suited for munition damage assessment. Further when a shock is formed and the H wave is created, there are now two waves, one the M shock wave created during blast, impact, or launch and the second is the newly discovered H wave that is the result of the action of M shock wave formation. Sensing the speeds and the difference in arrival of the two waves, the radial distance to the source is determined. Placing additional sensors at a different locations allows triangulation to the source of the M shock event; similar to seismic stations triangulation to an earthquake's epicenter.
Current art to locate a sniper attack (launch location) or determine the source location of an explosive detonation or projectile impact utilize man in the loop investigations. For instance a bullet entrance and exit from a target is analyzed to determine the trajectory and estimate velocity. The source is then determined by back geometrical calculations to the epicenter. Further the location of an explosive detonation is determined by analyzing the debris field or the painstaking analysis of several cameras, frame by frame. The current art for simultaneity of munitions requires that all munitions be connected together electrically to receive at best a microsecond jitter (the uncertainty of absolute timing) detonation signal. Utilization of the Harbinger wave removes the electrical connections and their associated costs and complexities, replaces the electrical hardware of each array element with a <$100 magnetic capture device, and yields jitters an order of magnitude or more less.
Accordingly, a need exists for a H/M wave algorithm and signal processing means to forecast an explosive, projectile impact or weapon launch generated shock wave, its dynamic variables of velocity, overpressure, dynamic pressure, density, and the location of the event. The information allows protection to be deployed such as back blasts that null the deleterious effects of a shock M wave, initial assessment of the event damage, and further determination of the co-ordinates of the source (detonation, impact or launch) location for immediate response. In this manner response teams, both military and civilian police forces, can locate events within seconds and form the appropriate actions.